Cymru

Vote Plaid

With just over six weeks until the election, YouGov poll for ITV Wales in partnership with Cardiff University - the largest so far - has applied the latest MRP modelling to offer a predicted breakdown of how many seats each party will win in each of the 16 new constituencies

An increase for Labour puts them third on 13% and resulting in 12 seats, meaning Eluned Morgan’s party would not elect anyone in four constituencies, including her own in Ceredgion Penfro.

*Includes neat map at the bottom of article to check the poll's vote share/seat projections in each constituency

The Welsh social network Tŵt [has launched] a new mobile app ahead of St David’s Day.

The launch, which [took] place in Cardiff on 28 February, represents a major evolution for the nation’s long-standing, community-owned social network which, after eight years of serving the digital community, is moving beyond its “early adopter” roots to provide a seamless, user-friendly experience for the wider public.

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Tŵt is a Welsh-focused node on the Social Web, also known as the “Fediverse”, an interconnected global network that allows users to communicate across different platforms and services.

By launching on St David’s Day, the project aims to integrate itself as a modern addition to Welsh life, designed to integrate seamlessly with the global Social Web and the fifty million people connecting over Mastodon, Bluesky, WordPress, Ghost, Pixelfed, Peertube and more.

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

Note - I authored this piece, any and all criticism/feedback is welcomed!

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/28031394

A medieval cemetery unearthed near Cardiff Airport is continuing to confound archaeologists, as the mysteries surrounding it are multiplying.

The discovery of the site, dating to the 6th or 7th Century, was announced last year, with dozens of skeletons found lying in unusual positions with unexpected artefacts.

Now researchers have learned nearly all of those buried in the cemetery are women, and while their bones show signs of wear and tear - indicating they carried out heavy manual work - there are also surprising signs of wealth and luxury.

Another unexpected find has been a woman tossed in a ditch, in stark contrast to all the other people who were buried with great care.

"Every time we think we understand something, something else crops up and the picture gets more intriguing," said Andy Seaman from Cardiff University, who is leading the project.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/25446708

Yesterday, Bleeding Cool reported on London-based comic book creator R.E. Burke, or Becky Burke, whose family is in Portskewett, Monmouthshire in Wales, being held in detention by I.C.E. in Washington state in the USA, after she crossed from the US to Canada and back again on a tourist visa, as part of a four-month backpacking trip across North America. Despite attempts to get her released and sent home, she has remained in confinement in onerous conditions for the past eleven days.

Her father, Paul Burke, talking to BBC Wales told them that R.E. Burke had been exchanging accommodation for helping host families "around the house", and he believes authorities may have suspected she broke the terms of her tourist visa. In his appeal, published by Bleeding Cool, he asked for UK authorities to get involved, and it seems that this is now happening, as the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have confirmed to the BBC that they are supporting a British national in this situation and were "in contact with the local authorities".

Paul Burke advised travellers to be "very careful" about their visa requirements but says he could not understand why she was "locked up and she's in an orange prison jumpsuit whilst the paperwork gets sorted out" and that what was meant to be a life-changing backpacking trip "has turned into a nightmare". Previously, he states that R.E. Burke had visited New York and Portland, where she spent time with a host family, helping with household chores in return for accommodation. She then travelled to Seattle with plans to travel to Vancouver in Canada to stay with another family, "just like a cultural exchange". But the Canadian authorities then denied her entry as they were concerned she may try to work illegally and returned her across the border. It was then that US officials told her she was being detained as, according to her father, they considered "that host family cultural exchange to be work… So basically she couldn't go into Canada, she wasn't allowed in the US". That led to her being taken by US Homeland Security to an immigration detention centre in Tacoma, Washington. Paul Burke says that R.E. Burke has described the conditions in the immigration centre as "horrendous… at first she was just distraught. She was inconsolable. She is allowed to ring out using a shared iPad but we can't call her." And because their family is not American, they cannot add money to her inmate account for her to buy essentials, so have reached out to American friends for help. Paul Burke says that R.E. Burke has told him that she just wants to come home and has requested voluntary departure but has received "radio silence". They have been told voluntary departure has to be approved by a judge, but do not know "how to make that happen". Her parents are in daily contact with the British consulate in San Francisco, the nearest one to the detention facility, but "official channels can't get a clear answer about what is going on".

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/25409806

A photograph of an animal at the edge of a field in Bausley Hill, near Crew Green, sparked speculation that a “panther” or “big cat” was prowling around the countryside.

The animal was spotted by resident Bethany Jones, who said she was “shocked” to see the animal in the private field and was only able to take a photo before the animal disappeared again.

She said: “I walked into our living room and saw whatever it was running along the bottom of the field.

“At first I thought it was a dog because of its size, which was worrying on its own because we knew that field had a lot of sheep in it at the time, but as I got a closer look it seemed to move more like a cat.

“But I could also see that it was obviously large as cats go, so much that I couldn’t believe it was a domestic cat as I was looking at it from across the field.

“I only managed to catch a hurried photo of it before it jumped over the fence and disappeared, but I remember being completely shocked at how large it was.

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“We went out afterwards and found a footprint, which was first spotted by my daughter, so we took a photo of that as well.

"I showed it to a nearby farmer who is a friend of ours, and they said it looked too big to have been made by an average house cat.”

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/25238685

Ocean Way is the one I'm thankful for. Almost everyone drives at 30 on there anyway despite the 20 limit.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24673149

The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has appeared in court accused of accepting bribes for making statements in the European Parliament that would benefit Russia.

Nathan Gill, 51, from Llangefni on Anglesey, is facing eight counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

The court heard that Mr Gill, who was a UKIP and later a Brexit Party MEP between 2014 and 2020, was alleged to have received money from his co-defendant and former Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn.

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The defendant is alleged to have been tasked by Mr Voloshyn on at least eight occasions to make specific statements in return for money.

The court heard the statements, made in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets such as 112 Ukraine, were "supportive of a particular narrative" which would "benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine".

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A lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told the court that Mr Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021 under anti-terror legislation.

His mobile phone was seized and evidence was found that he was in a professional relationship with Mr Valoshyn and had agreed to "receive or accept monies in return for him performing activities as an MEP", the court heard.

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He served as UKIP's leader for Wales and was briefly an independent before joining Reform's predecessor organisation, the Brexit Party, in 2019.

The north Wales politician led Reform's 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign.

It is not clear precisely when Gill ceased being leader of Reform UK Wales, but the job has not existed for some time.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24106411

A computer expert who has battled for a decade to recover a £600m bitcoin fortune he believes is buried in a council dump in south Wales is considering buying the site so he can hunt for the missing fortune.

James Howells lost a high court case last month to force Newport city council to allow him to search the tip to retrieve a hard drive he says contains the bitcoins.

The council has since announced plans to close and cap the site, which would almost certainly spell the end of any lingering hopes of reaching the bitcoins. The authority has secured planning permission for a solar farm on part of the land.

Howells, 39, said on Monday it had been “quite a surprise” to hear of the closure plan. He said: “It [the council] claimed at the high court that closing the landfill to allow me to search would have a huge detrimental impact on the people of Newport, whilst at the same time they were planning to close the landfill anyway.

“I expected it would be closed in the coming years because it’s 80/90% full – but didn’t expect its closure so soon. If Newport city council would be willing, I would potentially be interested in purchasing the landfill site ‘as is’ and have discussed this option with investment partners and it is something that is very much on the table.”

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/22811410

A Welsh rewilding charity backed by Iolo Williams has successfully raised over £90,000 following a community appeal to help establish Wales’ largest ecosystem restoration project.

Tir Natur (‘Nature’s Land’) made headlines in November 2024 after launching a crowdfunder to help secure over 1000 acres of marginal upland farm to showcase rewilding and the importance of large grazing animals in restoring depleted ecosystems.

On 6 January 2025, Tir Natur’s appeal, which began with an initial target of £20,000, ended having raised £70,000 from 662 individual donations , including matchfunding from Aviva.

The crowdfunder also offered a reward of sponsoring a 3 x 3m square of land through What Three Words for donations of £50 or more which are still available to sponsor.

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Funds raised will contribute towards the deposit and associated costs, due in Spring 2025. The location of the land will be revealed after this point.

Besides rewilding with native broadleef trees and other native fauna, they hope to introduce ancient breeds of grazing animals to the land to roam and shape the landscape, allowing wildlife to flourish alongside thriving communities, while informing and inspiring further nature-led restoration.

More than anything, they say, “it would offer hope for nature – gobaith i natur”.

The Danish word hygge, which summons a feeling of cosy, fire-crackling contentedness, has done its fair share for tourism in Scandinavia as well as sparking a string of self-help guides.

Now Visit Wales is aiming to draw tourists to its hills, valleys, coastlines and cities by harnessing the lovely Welsh word hwyl, which it defines as a “deep state of joy that comes from being totally immersed in the moment”, in its 2025 publicity drive.

Visit Wales says hwyl can be found in places and scenarios that mean most to those taking part, whether it be exploring a forest, gazing at stars, surfing or attending a music festival.

Hollywood actor Michael Sheen is funding a new theatre company to fill the gap left by the folding of National Theatre Wales.

He will be the artistic director of Welsh National Theatre, which will aim to tell "big stories on big stages for big audiences".

The first production, due in autumn 2026 and starring Sheen himself, will be announced in the coming months.

National Theatre Wales said it had "ceased to exist" last month after £1.6m in cuts to its core funding from Arts Council Wales.

A judge has thrown out a man's attempt to sue a council to recover from a rubbish tip a Bitcoin hard drive that is now worth about £598m.

James Howells had argued that his former partner had mistakenly dumped the hard drive containing a Bitcoin wallet in 2013, and he wanted to access the site and recover the cryptocurrency.

But Newport council asked a High Court judge to strike out Mr Howells' legal action to access the landfill or get £495m in compensation.

Judge Keyser KC said there were no "reasonable grounds" for bringing the claim and "no realistic prospect" of succeeding at a full trial.

Reacting to the decision, Mr Howells said he was "very upset".

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The landfill holds more than 1.4m tonnes of waste, but Mr Howells said he had narrowed the hard drive's location to an area consisting of 100,000 tonnes.

Mr Howells has speculated that, by next year, the Bitcoin on his hard drive could be worth £1bn.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/22395238

The quiet Welsh village of Cyffylliog in Denbighshire is the last place you’d expect to see a crowd of eager bargain-hunters—especially ones staring perplexedly at an empty field. But thanks to a prank on Google Maps, the tiny community has become an unlikely hotspot for confused tourists and delivery drivers, all searching for a mythical Aldi supermarket. The debacle began when an unknown jokester placed a fake Aldi location in the heart of the village on Google Maps. Ever since, a steady stream of hopeful shoppers has been arriving, guided by their smartphones, only to find themselves standing in the middle of a grassy field, miles away from the nearest checkout lane.

The chaos reached new heights last week when a milk tanker, also misdirected by Google Maps, became stuck on a narrow village lane while attempting to locate the fictitious store. Residents were left with blocked roads for hours as the tanker had to be carefully maneuvered out, leaving locals both frustrated and incredulous.

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Residents, however, are less amused. “We’ve had people knocking on doors asking where the Aldi is, delivery vans with groceries trying to find a nonexistent loading dock, and even a bloke with a pallet of bread who thought he’d been hired to stock shelves!” said Sioned Davies, a local.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/36166120

I've just started learning Cymraeg on Duolingo, but I have a question. Should I try and use a Welsh accent when I'm speaking the language, or would it be better to use my English accent (which is sort of casual RP with a hint of Northumbrian)?